Clarke hoping to secure Asian TV deal

Wednesday 21 March 2012 10:40 BST

Giles Clarke

English cricket could be boosted by a multi-million pound TV rights deal in Asia, according to England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke.

Clarke, who was recently re-elected unopposed for a third term, revealed he is hoping to secure a lucrative deal and further strengthen the ECB's already "very strong" financial position. A TV rights deal with Sky runs until 2017 - with an option to extend beyond that - and Clarke is hopeful a "nine figure" deal of similar length can be struck on the sub continent.

He said: "They [broadcast rights] are a critical part of the very strong financial position that English cricket finds itself in. We have a really good domestic deal with Sky, that takes us to 2019 in my view, and I am looking for an Asian deal that will take us to that time."

Clarke added: "That certainty of income for any British business is a rarity and most people would give their right arm for it."

The ECB chief has pledged to reinvest up to £400million into cricket until the end of 2019 which will include upgrading facilities at the National Academy at Loughborough.

The 58-year-old believes that would help cement England's place at the top of cricket, on and off the field, with designs to improve coaching standards so that the current team director, and Zimbabwean, Andy Flower's replacement will be home grown.

"We want to ensure Loughborough is fully organised in terms of facilities and we want to make sure we are developing the players and coaches of the future, that is critical," he told The Daily Telegraph.

Clarke also admitted the ECB faced some tough decisions ahead following problems delivering on the recommendations of the Morgan Report into the structure of county cricket.

"What we have to do is look at all the views, which are widely divergent, and our job is to make as sensible a decision as possible on what we regard as key criteria," he said.

"We have to set the criteria so people understand why decisions were made to enable people to know they have clarity about where they are going."